Arrested Senthilbalaji unable to talk...: KN Nehru
According to sources the minister broke down into tears while he was on his way to the hospital.
Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister V Senthilbalaji
(With inputs from Bureau)
CHENNAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday arrested Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister V Senthilbalaji under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and was admitted to Omandurar Multi Speciality Hospital as he complained of chest pain.
Several ministers including Udhayanidhi Stalin, KN Nehru and Ma Subramanian rushed to the hospital after the news broke out.
According to sources the minister broke down into tears while he was on his way to the hospital.
State Municipal Administration Minister K N Nehru said after visiting his cabinet colleague at the hospital, “I waited for an hour and visited him. He’s unable to talk. He’s very exhausted. All doctors are available and health minister Ma Subramanian is available there.”
“Even his family was not informed about the reason of his arrest. The Enforcement Directorate has arrested to exert pressure on him. The BJP must answer to the people for the arrest one day,” said Law Minister Reghupathy.
WATCH | Tamil Nadu ministers Ponmudi and Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi arrive at Omandurar government hospital to meet minister Senthil Balaji, who has been brought here by Enforcement Directorate
— ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2023
ED took him into custody in connection with a money laundering case. pic.twitter.com/UPONzeftRW
Meanwhile, HR&CE Minister Sekar Babu said: “He is in the ICU. He was in an unconscious state and did not respond when he called him by his name. He is under observation... there is a swelling near his ear, doctors say there is variation in his ECG (electrocardiogram)... these are symptoms of torture.”
State Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy after visiting Balaji at Omandurar hospital “We are confident that he will recover completely. The union govt is engaged in threatening governments in non-BJP ruled states. After West Bengal and Delhi, it has come to Tamil Nadu. DMK has the capacity to face any intimidation or political vendetta. DMK has faced it in the past too. Even our chief minister was arrested under MISA. People of Tamil Nadu are aware of the vendetta politics of the BJP.”
“We don’t know for what case they have arrested Senthil Balaji. Even his relatives were not informed of the cause of the arrest. They must inform it to the family/relatives. Probably, they will inform media. The rules were not followed in his arrest. We will face the case legally,” said DMK Rajya Sabha MP N R Elango and legal advisor of DMK.